Obsession

Full Novel

The taxi driver is old and deaf and doesn’t seem to know the streets too well. At her age I hope to be helping my as yet unborn children take care of my grandchildren. I give up trying to give her an address and instead just gesture downtown.
— Wall Street, is it? You shoulda said.
We have hardly set off before she shouts aloud.
— Did you see that guy cut me up? He’s the one. He’s the one. He’s gonna pay for my new hip.
At this, she picks up a video camera from the seat and starts to film the car ahead, while continuing to drive with one hand. From short bursts of speech I find that her key to the good life is to catch some motorist in a blatant violation of traffic ordinances and then sue him or her. Meanwhile, I feel less than safe and insist that right here is fine. She complains at dropping me at the corner of Houston, when she thought she had a fare down to Wall Street. After I’ve handed over the fare, she picks up the camera and points it at me as I skip briskly into the subway.

Is it my imagination or does every other person in New York seem to be engaged in some huge lawsuit? Techno Mike tells me later the same day how he’s suing the New Jersey police for jumping a stop light and colliding with his vehicle. He has been wearing a neck brace since the incident and thinks it prudent to keep it in place until after his case is heard, even though he says his neck feels fine. This is a case that…